This Man Is "Lucky To Be Alive" After His Phone Charger Electrocuted Him While He Slept

Wiley Day woke up when a sudden surge of heat and electricity threw him to the floor. His dog tag necklace had caught on the prongs of his phone charger, and the strong current electrocuted him as he called for help.

"My necklace became a conductor," the 32-year-old later told Buzzfeed. "It was worst alarm clock you could ever have in life." The Huntsville, Alabama, man plugged his iPhone 7 into an cheap extension cord by his bed every night, but on March 22, the habit nearly killed him. "This is how you die," he remembers thinking as 110 volts of electricity coursed through his body.

Amazingly, his niece heard his cries for help just as he broke the chain from his neck. He rushed to the doctor, who immediately sent him to a hospital. Today, he's still being treated for second- and third-degree burns on his neck, chest and hand at the University of Alabama's Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit, Buzzfeed reports.

"Had I not pulled that necklace off when I did..." Day told the Washington Post. "I just believe that God spared my life, and that's what happened."

Day probably experienced about 110 volts of electricity, according to a Huntsville doctor. Just 100 volts can be fatal. "He is lucky to be alive," Dr. Benjamin Fail told WAAY-TV. "Electrocution kills."

To protect yourself and your device, always use an official charger, says Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "To check if a charger is Apple certified, look for the 'Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad' logo," she says. "Avoid charging in extreme environmental conditions — too hot or too cold — and charge your device out of any case, as that can generate excess heat."

It's also a good idea to check whether the charger's wattage matches your phone's specs, and the the extension cord can handle the plugged-in devices. Even then, regular wear and tear can pose a danger. "If an extension cord is ever cut or damaged, even a single exposed strand of wire, stop using it immediately," Rothman says. "It can lead to an electric shock or burn."

Day hopes that his own horrific experience can deter the others who sleep next to their chargers. "I found out most people were using extension cords because they were still on their devices in bed," Day told the Washington Post after his accident. "I mean, it's sad but true."

Now, he charges his phone the kitchen, not the bedroom. "Charge your phone away from you," he told WAAY-TV. "Charge it the next day. It's not worth your life."

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